Method of printing and punching blanks



March 7, 1939. c, WQOD 2,150,016

METHODOF PRINTING AND PUNGI'IING BLANKS Filed June '7, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 27554 251 jfiar ew O 'fi ooa? March 7, 1939. I Q WQQD I 2,150,016

. Filed June 7, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 flr a r aaa 77004 Walla x @E (:3 I

March 7, 1939. Q WOQD 12,150,016

METHOD OF PRINTING AND PUNCHING BLANKS Filed June 7, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 E MEL-775E flzmz ewd/i ood March '7, 1939. A, Q O D 2,150,016

METHOD OF PRINTING ANDPUNCHING BLANKS Filed June 7, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheei 4 Patented Mar. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD or PRINTING AND PUNCHING BLANKS Andrew 0. Wood, Chicago, 1a., assignor to Dixie- Vortex Company, a corporation of Delaware Application June 7, 1935, Serial No. 25,438

7 Claims.

tions of advertising calendars, decorated handbills, score cards, and similar items.

The present invention is highly desirable for producing printed or decorated blanks for subsequent formation into paper containers, such as drinking cups and the like. although as stated above, the invention is suitable for the production of other and various forms of blanks, as is apparent to one skilled in the art.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be mainly set forth in connection with the printing and punching of blanks for paper containers, as an example and for the purpose of disclosing the invention with the requisite clarity.

Heretofore. by way of further example, where some form of printing matter has been desired on the outer surface of a paper container, it has Car containers, stack the punched blanks and feed them, one at a time, into a printing machine, after which the blanks were again assembled for feeding into a container forming machine. Running the blanks individually through a printing machine after the cutting of the blanks was a slow, tedious and expensive process. Such a process tends to slow up the making of paper containers from start to finish. or else requires considerable additional apparatus for the printing, since, in most instances, blanks are punched or cut more than one at a time from sheets of stock,

while the printing must be done by feeding the blanks one at a time to a printing machine. In the manufacture of paper cups and similar containers, economy in production is a matter of vital importance, and the printing of the blanks one at a time results in objectionably expensive pro- 45 duction.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of printing and cutting or punching blanks, the method being characterized by first printing the blanks in multiform on a roll of stock. and subsequently punching or cutting the blanks from the stock after the printing.

The method embodied in this invention also includes the multiple printing of blanks upon a roll of stock, and thenthe simultaneous punching of After being printed,

been the practice to punch out the blanks for the the blanks from a plurality of such printed rolls of stock.

The method herein involved also includes the steps of printing the blanks in multiple on a roll of stock, providing the stock with aligned open- 5 ings, registering the stock sheets from several such printed rolls by means of said openings, and punching blanks from a plurality of superimposed layers of such printed sheets of stock.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a method of printing and punching blanks for paper containers and the like, including the steps of contemporaneously printing a desired number of blanks on a continuous sheet of stock and perforating the sheet, utilizing the perforations as a means for aligning a plurality of superimposed continuous printed sheets, and punching blanks from the superimposed printed sheets of stock.

. The method of this invention also embodies the steps of rewinding a roll of paper stock, printing the stock at spaced intervals during the rewinding operation, and subsequently punching out the printed portions of the stock to form decorated blanks.

This invention also contemplates the method of first printing rows of blanks upon a continuous sheet of paper stock, and subsequently punching complete rows of printed blanks from the sheet of stock.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a method whereby a continuous sheet of stock is first provided with printing matter for a number of blanks, and the blanks are subsequently punched or cut from the printed continuous sheet, which blanks are then ready for formation into paper cups and the like.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a method of printing and punching blanks including the steps of printing a relatively 40 wide sheet of stock with printed matter for a plurality of blanks, slitting the relatively wide sheet into desirable widths, and winding the slit portions of the sheet upon spools for subsequent use with punching mechanism.

Also a feature of this invention is the provision of a method of printing and punching blanks including the steps of providing printing for a plureality of blanks upon a relatively wide sheet of stock, providing suitable openings at desirable points in said sheet, slitting the sheet int'o desirable widths, and winding the slit widths upon spools for subsequent usage in connection with punching mechanism, wherein the spools may be positioned so that the now relatively narrow strips may be placed in superimposed relationship, aligned by means of the openings, and blanks punched from a plurality of such superimposedsheets at the same time.

Itis also an object of this invention to provide apparatus capable of performing the steps of the present method as mentioned broadly hereinabove.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and method steps of the present invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures.

It will, of course, be understood that various types of apparatus or mechanism may be used to perform the method embodied in this invention. Consequently, the accompanying drawings illustrate this apparatus in a relatively diagrammatic manner without bringing out all of the specific details of the construction. While other apparatus might be substituted for that disclosed, certain arrangements or certain uses of the apparatus for performing the method in a preferable manner are desired and the .drawings illustrate a satisfactory arrangement.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view of apparatus capable of performing the initial portion of the method embodied in this invention.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic elevational view of apparatus capable of performing the remaining portion of the method.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a sheet of paper stock after being acted upon by the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the same sheet of stock after being acted upon by the apparatus of Figure 2, the view disclosing a pair of the punched blanks separate from the sheet of stock and ready for formation into containers.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary, part sectional, part elevational view of the upper portion of the structure seen in Figure 2.

Figure 6 is.an enlarged fragmentary, part sectional, part elevational view of one of the printing elements" embodied in the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary, part sectional, part elevational view of the perforating element embodied in the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the stag- -gered section line VIII-VIII of Figure 5, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view of the structure sirable in some instances in the initial portion of the method embodied in this invention.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary plan viewof a sheetofstockafterbeingacteduponbythe apparatus shown in Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary plan view of a sheet of stock .after being actedupon by appa- Y ratus of the nature of that shown in Figure 9 with a different adjustment; 4

Figure 12 is a fragmentary plan view of a sheet of stock afterbeing acted upon by apparatus of the character shown in Figure 1, illustrating a different type of printing for blanks of a different nature than those for forming paper containers.

printing 2 thereupon' As shown on the drawings: Before indicating in a general way the construction of the various mechanisms illustratedl With references to Figures 3 and 4,.1t will be seen that in performing the method. a continuous sheet of paper stock I of the kind and character suitable for paper drinking cups and similar containers is first run through the printing and perforating apparatus of Figure 1. This sheet of stock I may be of any desired width and may have printed thereupon rows of printed matter, as indicated at 2, the printed matter being properly spaced so that a cup blank may be punched from the sheet I for each patch of. printing. The printing, as will later appear herein, may be in one or more colors, as may be deemed most desirable.

in the present instance, the sheet I is 'of such width as to accommodate two cup blanks in a transverse row, and the printing is, of course, arranged accordingly. For the sake of economy in space, it will be seen that the two blanks in the same transverse row are arranged in opposite order, although any desired arrangement may be had. It will also be understood, as explained more fully later herein, that, if so. desired, the sheet I may be of such width as to f character, such as notches, recesses, indentations, .etc., and are shown in this instance as perforations. While these openings are illustrated as running down the sheet adjacent each lateral edge thereof, in the event the sheetis made wider, the openings may equally as well be run down the center of the sheet or at any. desired interior point as well as adjacent the edges of the sheet.

After the sheet I has been printed and the openings provided, as indicated in Figure 3, the sheet is next run through the apparatus shown in Figure 2, wherein cup or container blanks 4 are punched from the sheet. leaving openin la in the sheet after theremoval of the blanks. In Figure 4, the sheet is clearly shown with W both a punched and unpunched portion thereof.

To the left in this figure, the individual blanks are seen as they ippear after being punched from the sheet, each blank carrying a patch of These blanks I,. when formed into container shape, will each carry the respective printed. patch 2 upon the outer surface thereof.

In the punching operation, it is preferable'to punch through several superimposed sheets I at one time. and the openings. 3 along the sheets are utilised to properly align the sheets'with respect to each other so that 'the blanks will be punched from the sheets at the right spots. -Whiletheblanks linthisinstaneeare'shown as bdngof a shape torform body portions for flat bottomed cups. to each of which body portions 11 bottom member is added, it will be understood that the'bianks maybeofany desired shape for the formation of substantially any a tensioning mechanism, generally indicated by desirable paper container. For example, it might be desired to punch blanks having the general shape of a sector of a circle for subsequently forming conical cups, and in such case, the blanks could also be outlined in inverse alternate order transversely across the sheet I to save material.

After the blanks have been printedand punched in the manner outlined in general above, they are ready for transfer to container making mechanism of any desired or suitable character. The form of apparatus diagrammatically shown in the drawings, which is one form capable of performing the above outlined method, includes a platform or understructure 5 upon which the printing'andopening providing mechanisms are mounted. The continuous sheet I is fed through this apparatus from a roll 'or spool of stock 6 mounted on a cradle I adjacentpne end of the platform 5 to a roll. or spool 8 seated in a cradle 9 adjacent the opposite end of the apparatus. In

passing through the mechanism; the continuous sheet I is unwound from the roll 6 and rewound on the roll 8.

On the understructure 5 adjacent the roll 6 is the numeral I8, comprising a pair of rolls between which the sheet I travels, these rolls being relatively tightly pressed together to securely hold the sheets while feeding the same to the other mechanism. At the opposite end of the structure 5 is a similar tensioning' mechanism, generally indicated-by the numeral II, and these tensioning means Ill and II maintain the sheet I under proper tension therebetween. Between the tensioning means II and the roll 8 are a pair of ordinary guide or supporting rolls I2, over which the sheet I passes before reaching the roll or spool 8.

Between thetwo tensloning means Illan'd II,

vides'the openings 3 above mentioned. It will be a noted that the openings 3 are provided contemporaneously with the printing but, if so desired, the openings may be provided in advance of the printing operation, or simultaneously therewith, as may be deemed most feasible.

All of the elements mounted upon the understructure 5, of course, must have a relatively equalized drive in order to keep the sheet I under ,proper tension and prevent tearing of the same.

To this end, a driving unit, such as a motor I6, is mounted upon the lower deck I! of the understructure 5, and the motor is connected by any suitablemeans, such as a belt, to a reduction pulley I8, in turn connected to a pinion I8 in mesh with a driving gear 20. This driving gear 28 is connected to a horizontally disposed shaft also carrying a bevel gear 2| which in turn meshes with a transversely disposed bevel gear 22 carried by an elongated shaft 23. It is apparent, therefore, that the shaft 23 receives its drive from the bevel gear 2I.

The shaft 23 carries'a similar bevel gear 22 for driving each of the respective units I8 to I5, inclusive, through a bevel gear mounted on each unit similar to the gear 2|. In this manner, all

of the units I8 to I5, inclusive, are subject to a uniform speed drive; Adjacent the spool 6, a roller 24 and rider 25 depending from the under structure 5, provide adequate means to form a loop in the paper and take up the slack, or provide the necessary tension between the rider and the tensioning means II.

with reference now to Figure 6, it will be seen that a printing unit I4, for example, comprises in general a frame 26 to which is pivotally mounted anupper frame 21 carrying the usual gearing and rolls 28 associated with a direct inking roll 28. A printing roll 38 carried upon a transverse shaft 3| mounted in the frame and provided with a printingmat'rix 32 of any desired character, contacts the inking roll 28. Beneath the printing roll and in vertical alignment therewith is a backing roll 33 carried upon a transversely disposed shaft 34. Of course, thebacking roll 33 and the printing roll 38 turn in opposite directions to feed the sheet I therebetween while at the same time the 1 the perforating unit I5 includes a frame 35 carrying a pair of horizontally disposed shafts 38 and 31, vertically spaced and vertically aligned. The upper shaft 36 carried thereupon a perforating roller. 38 having upon its outer surface spaced punching elements 33. The lower shaft 31 also carries a roller 48 thereon encased preferably in a steel covering or tire 4I.

The wheel 48 is apertured at spaced intervals, as indicated at 42, and the tire. H is likewise apertured at spaced intervals with smaller apertures 43 of a proper size to receive therein the punch-. ing elements 39, the apertures 43, of course, being in alignment with the apertures 42. Both rollers 38 and 48 are so arranged that when they ,rotate in opposite directions to feed the sheet I therebetween, a punch member 38 will pass in and cut of an aperture 43 during the rotation and thereby perforate the sheet I, as indicated at 3 .in Figures 3-and 4. Of course, the wheels 38 and 46 are arranged to provide a desired numberof rows of perforations. The small pieces of stock punched out of the holes 3 by the members 33 fall through the apertures 42 into the interior of the roller 48, from which they can be removed at proper times by any suitable means. V

After a continuous sheet I has been printed and perforated and wound into 'a spool 8, the sheet is next passed through the apparatus seen in Figure 2 which punches out the blanks to be later.

formed into containers. The punching apparatus comprises in general a framework 44 carrying a plurality of spools 8 of printed and perforated stock. Any desired number of spools may be utilized with this apparatus consistent with a feasible size of machine. In. this instance, I have shown four spools which, with the particular stock impoudsheets I arepermittedtoformaslack loop 48.

The punching mechanism per se includes a framev which houses any suitable form of punching mechanism for stamping out a blank}.

brackets or bosses Ii project upwardly from the frame or housing ll. each of which accommodates a bolt 2, by means of which spaced uprights if forndng the frame of the feeding mechanism 50 are held in position and may be adjusted relatively to the housing 4!. These uprights ll carry suitable bearing means adjacent each end thereof for properly supporting an upper and a lower horizontal shaft '4, on each of which is mounted -a pair of sprocket wheels II. Trained around the sprocket wheels I is an endless link chain It carrying at spaced intervals thereupon cross bars I. Each of the cross bars 1 is provided with a pair of spaced detents ll of a proper size to project through the perforations I in a sheet I.

The uprights l3 also'carry upper and lower transverse frames '0 which support a pair of vertically extending channel bars ll. The upper and lower frames 60 are joined by an upright 8i upon each side thereof, and these uprights support upper and lower rollers 62 over which the chain '56 travels. The rollers are merely mounted free and serve as guiding elements to provide a straight stretch of travel for the chain inside of the channel bars II, as seen clearly in Figure 5. The spacing between the uprights ti and the channel members ll is such as just to accommodate the thickness of the chain 50, the thickness of a cross bar 51 and the superimposed sheets of stock I, so that, as the superimposed layers of stock pass forwardly by the uprights II, the projections 5. on each crou bar '1 will extend through the apertures or perforations I on the opposite sides of the sheets into the channels of o the members 80, thereby holding the superimposed sheets of stock in even and exact alignment. The superimposed sheetsof stock are fed to the feeding mechanism structure by means of an inaligned sheets i leave the vicinity of the channel bars 80, the lowermost wheels I afford a break,

for the respective chains ll so that ;the projections ll are withdrawn cleanly from'the apertures or perforations I in thesheets'. The aligned sheets then pass downwardly into the housing l. of the punching mechanism wherein the blanks l are stamped or punched from the sheets by any. suit 'able mechanism generally indicated by numeral C I in Figure 5. 7

Suitable driving means (not shown) are provided for the punching mechanism. and, with reference to Figure 2,.it will be seen that a shaft 66 also driven by the same means, carries a crank arm. ll pivotally connected to a pitman or conand the method involved in this invention is henecting rod a which is in turn pivotally connected to a link I freely rotatable or floating onthe lowermost shaft 54. Keyed to the shaft H is a ratchet wheel I. having relatively widely feeding mechanism II is provided. This inter- J mittent drive, of course, is in proper-timing'with the actuation of the punching mechanism in the housing 40, so that the superimposed sheets i are advanced in accordance with the cutting stroke of the punching mechanism ll.

The operation of the respective mechanisms lieved to be sufncie'ntly clear from the foregoing as to warrant no further detailed description. It suii'ibes to say, insumma'ry. that a spool I of blank stock is seated in the crade I and the stock fed through the mechanism of Figure 1. wherein a as tures or perforations I as aligning means. Upon leaving the fading mechanism, which is intermittently driven as above set forth, the superimposed, sheets pass into the blank punching mechanism,

and a plurality of blanks are simultaneously cut from the sheets'with each blank carrying upon 40 its outer surface a 'patch of printing matter placed upon each respective sheet by the units i3 and VII. As the blanks are out they are automatically stackedv in a blank receiving trough I! for subsequent transfer to suitable container making mechanism for formation into cups, containers and similar paper articles. -The aligned stock skeletons II from which the blanks .have been punched descended into a suitable conveyor carrlage I4 for proper disposition.

the stock in sheet form, and the stock blanked with tubular ring dies immediatelyrafter or contemporaneously' with the printing. However, such procedure is much slower than that previously described and subject to unwelcome difliculty in aligning-the printing.

As mentioned hereinabove, in some instances it I might be desirable to print relatively wide sheets ofstockwithmorethantwoblanksinatransverse row. Of course, substantially the same mechanismasshownlnl'lgurelwiiibeutilisedwith the exception that the mechanism will be sum ciently wide to properly print the wider sheet of stock. In the event the punching mechanism is not of suitable width to take a wider sheet of stock, such as the sheet ia shown in Figure 10, is is desirable to slit or cut the .sheet intostrips and wind the slit sheets on sectionalised spools.

Accordingly. various spcolsections may be removed, each with a roll in of stock (Figure 9)' thereupon, and these spool sections may be alignedinthesamemannerastherollslseenin Figure 2 for feeding superimposed layers of printed stock into the punching or cutting 1g- If so desired, the printing might be done with punches would be circular.

In Figure. 9, I have illustrated a portion of the apparatus of Figure l, with the exception that the apparatus of Figure 9 is of sufficient width to accommodate a wider sheet of stock la. In this instance, the sheet la is shown as being substantially twice as wide as the sheet I previously described herein. The printing mechanism is so arranged that when this sheet is printed, there will be a relatively wider space 15 between the inside longitudinal rows of printing patches. The mechanism [5 for'providing the openings 3, which in this instance are again shown in the form of perforations, is adjusted so as to provide notonly a row of perforations along each marginal edge of the sheet Ia but a pair of spaced rows of perforations in the space 15.

With reference to Figure 9, suitable cutting mechanism for slitting the sheet la is diagrammatically shown in connection with the printing and perforating apparatus. Mounted in advance of the cradle 9 supporting the segmental roll 8a of stock is another cradle 15 carrying a positioning and cutter receiving roll I1. Immediately in advance of this roll is a cradle 18 carrying a cutting wheel 19 positioned so that the cutting edge of the wheel 19 will pass through the sheet Ia of stock and enter a suitable groove in the positioning roll 11. In this manner, as the sheet la is wound into the roll to, it is longitudinally s1it,-as indicated. at in Figure 10, this figure showing a section of the sheet partially slit. It is desirable to have the slit run through the space 'I5 in the center of the sheet la, so that after the cutting, there will be a marginal row of perforations 3 for each strip of the sheet.

Sectionalized spools are preferably used for the roll to, and these spools are of such a character that they can be left intact or separated into various sections. -By slitting the stock during the rewinding operation, other economies in the handling of the stock are evident. There is also less variation in the stock from moisture or other atmospheric causes due to the keeping of the stock in mill-size rolls until after the printing operation and substantially until the stock is ready or :required for. further handling.

As stated above, different forms of openings 3 may be utilized in the stock. In Figure 11, I have shown these openings in the form of notches is provided in a sheet of stock la like that illustrated-in Figure 10. The notches to extend inwardly from the side edges of the sheet and-are utilized in the same manner as above explained in connection with the perforations. By using notches along the edges of the stock, only one set of punchers is required between the roll width or in the space 15. The notches may have any suitable form, such as V- shaped as illustrated, in which event a diamond-shaped punch in the space 15 is-required. When the sheet is slit by the cutter ll, the slit I0 is made through the center of the middle rowof openings so that the central diamond-shaped perforations are d;- vided into two V-shaped notches. In the event the notches are semi-circular, then the center It is to be understood that the sheets in may be of any desirable width, it being a simple expedient to provide another cutter II in theevent the sheet is to be slit or divided more than once, and it is equally simple to properly adjust the mechanism for providing the alignment openings in the sheet, whether these openings are in the form of perforations, notches, indentations or otherwise.

As illustrative of the fact that the present method is not limited to the printing and punching of blanks for use in connection with the making of paper containers, I have shown a sheet of stock 'Ib provided in the manner above described with printing patches 8| of a distinctly different shape than those utilized for paper container blanks. This sheet of stock may also be provided with openings 3b ofany desired character for alignment of a plurality of superimposed sheets for feeding into the punching mechanism. The printing patches 8| may be of any desired character, suitable for pictures, advertising, hand bills, decorative portions of calendars and similar articles, or for substantially any printed piece of merchandise capable of being made by the teachings of this invention, which printed blanks may be left fiat or formed into suitable shapes for a particular object.

, From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided a new and novel method of printingand punching various blanks, including those from which paper cups and the like may be made. It will be especially noted that the blanks need not be cut and then run individually through a printing machine, but that an endless sheet of stock is run through the printing machine prior to the cutting and provided with all the desired printing at properly spaced regions thereupon, the printing mechanism printing a plurality of blanks simultaneously. After the printing, it is a simple expedient to punch or stamp the blanks from the continuous printed sheets. It is obvious that the present method affords not only a rapid and easy commercial production ofblanks, but I also an extremely economical production.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I,

therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than is necessitated by I claim as my invention:

1. In the art of making paper containers, the 1 ber of blanks on a continuous sheet of stock and I providing a series of openings longitudinally of the sheet, utilizing the openings to align a plurality of superimposed printed sheets, and punching blanks from the superimposed printed sheets.

3. In the art of making paper containers, the

tinuous sheet of stock, perforating said sheet at spaced points, aligning several 'of such printed method of printing and cutting blanks, includ ing printing the blanks in multiple on a con and perforated sheets in superimposed relationship by means'of the perforations, and simultaneously punching blanksfrom the superimposed sheets,

4. In the art of making paper containers, the method of printing and cutting blanks, including the multiple printing of blanks in rows on each of a plurality of sheets of stock, aligning ,said sheets in superimposed relationship, and

the prior art. 5.

tudinal rows, slitting said sheet between adjacent rows of perforations, aligning the pieces of slit stock by means of said perforations, and cutting blanks simultaneously from a plurality oi aligned pieces.

s. The method of printing and cutting blanks,

including printing a sheet oi stock, providing said sheet with openings in longitudinal series,

slitting said sheet through a series of said openlugs to divide each opening and leave a portion thereof in each piece of the sheet, aligning the pieces of the sheet by means. of said openings. and cutting blanks from the aligned sheets.

7. In the art of making paper containers, the

method 01' printing and cutting blanks from which to make paper cups, including printing a plurality of rows of patches on a sheet of stock with the patches in adjacent rows oppositely disposed, providing spaced rows of openings longitudinally of said sheet, aligning a plurality of said sheets by said openings in superposed relationship, and simultaneously punching blanks from a plurality of rows 01' printing and from all said superposed sheets.

ANDREW C. WOOD. 

